<h2>Name</h2>
<p>
The Surah derives its name from the word <em>ashab al fil</em> in the very first
verse.
</p>
<h2>Period of Revelation</h2>
<p>
This is unanimously a Makki Surah; and if it is studied against its
historical background it appears that it must have been sent down in
the very earliest stage at Makkah.
</p>
<h2>Historical Background</h2>
<p>
As we have explained in E. N. 4 of Surah Al-Buruj above, in retaliation
for the persecution of the followers of the Prophet Jesus Christ
(peace be on him) in Najran by the Jewish ruler Dhu-Nuwas of Yaman,
the Christian kingdom of Abyssinia invaded Yaman and put an end to the
Himyarite rule there, and in 52S A. D. this whole land passed under
Abyssinian control. This happened, in fact, through collaboration
between the Byzantine empire of Constantinople and the Abyssinian
kingdom, for the Abyssinians at that time had no naval fleet. The
fleet was provided by Byzantium and Abyssinia sent 70,000 of its
troops by it across the Red Sea to Yaman. At the outset one should
understand that all this did not happen under the religious zeal but
there were economic and political factors also working behind it, and
probably these were the real motive, and retaliation for the Christian
blood was just an excuse. Since the time the Byzantine empire had
occupied Egypt and Syria, it had been trying to gain control over the
trade going on between East Africa, India, Indonesia, etc., and the
Byzantine dominions: from the Arabs, who had been controlling it for
centuries, so as to earn maximum profits by eliminating the
intermediary Arab merchants. For this purpose, in 24 or 25 B. C.,
Caesar Augustas sent a large army under the Roman general, Aelius
Gallus, which landed on the western coast of Arabia, in order to
intercept and occupy the sea route between southern Arabia and Syria. (See map of this trade route on p. 111 of <em>The Meaning of the Qur'an</em>, vol. iv). But the campaign failed to achieve its objective on account of the
extreme geographical conditions of Arabia. After this, the Byzantines
brought their fleet into the Red Sea and put an end to the Arab trade
which they carried out by sea, with the result that they were left
only with the land route. To capture this very land route they
conspired with the Abyssinian Christians and aiding them with their
fleet helped them to occupy Yaman. 
</p>
<p>
The Arab historians statements
about the Abyssinian army that invaded Yaman are different. Hafiz Ibn
Kathir says that it was led by two commanders, Aryat and Abrahah, and
according to Muhammad bin Ishaq, its commander was Aryat, and Abrahah
was included in it. Then both are agreed that Aryat and Abrahah fell
out, Aryat was killed in the encounter, and Abrahah took possession of
the country; then somehow he persuaded the Abyssinian king to
appoint him his viceroy over Yaman. On the contrary, the Greek and
Syrian historians state that when after the conquest of Yaman, the
Abyssinians started putting to death the Yamanite chiefs, who had put
up resistance, one of the chiefs, named As-Sumayfi Ashwa (whom the
Greek historians call Esymphaeus) yielded to the Abyssinians and
promising to pay tribute obtained the Abyssinian king's warrant to be
governor over Yaman. But the Abyssinian army revolted against him and
made Abrahah governor in his place. This man was the slave of a Greek
merchant of the Abyssinian seaport of Adolis, who by clever diplomacy
had come to wield great influence in the Abyssinian army occupying
Yaman. The troops sent by the Negus to punish him either warned him or
were defeated by him. Subsequently, after the death of the king, his
successor was reconciled to accept him as his vice regent of Yaman.(The
Greek historians write him as Abrames and the Syrian historians as
Abraham. Abrahah perhaps is an Abyssinian variant of Abraham, for its
Arabic version is Ibrahim). 
</p>
<p>
This man through passage of time became an
independent ruler of Yaman. He acknowledged the sovereignty of the
Negus only in name and described himself as his deputy. The influence
he wielded can be judged from the fact that after the restoration of
the dam of Marib in 543 A. D. he celebrated the event by holding a
grand feast, which was attended by the ambassadors of the Byzantine
emperor, king of Iran, king of Hirah, and king of Ghassan. Its full
details are given in the inscription that Abrahah installed on the dam.
This inscription is extant and Glaser has published it.(For further
details, see E. N. 37 of the commentary of Surah Saba). 
</p>
<p>
After
stabilizing his rule in Yaman Abrahah turned his attention to the
objective which from the very beginning of this campaign had been
before the Byzantine empire and its allies, the Abyssinian Christians,
i. e. to spread Christianity in Arabia, on the one hand, and to
capture the trade that was carried out through the Arabs between the
eastern lands and the Byzantine dominions, on the other. The need, for
this increased because the Byzantine struggle for power against the
Sasanian empire of Iran had blocked all the routes of the Byzantine
trade with the East. 
</p>
<p>
To achieve this objective, Abrahah built in Sana,
the capital of Yaman, a magnificent cathedral, called by the Arabian
historians al-Qalis, al-Qullais, or al-Qulais, this word being an
Arabic version of the Greek word Ekklesia, church. According, to
Muhammad bin Ishaq, after having completed the building, he wrote to
the Negus, saying: "I shall not rest until I have diverted the Arabs
pilgrimage to it."Ibn Kathir writes that he openly declared his
intention in Yaman and got it publicly announced. He, in fact, wanted
to provoke the Arabs into doing something which should provide him
with an excuse to attack Makkah and destroy the Ka'bah. Muhammad bin
Ishaq says that an Arab, enraged at this public proclamation somehow
went into the cathedral and defiled it. Ibn Kathir says this was done
by a Quraishite and according to Muqatil bin Suleman, some young men
of the Quraish had set fire to the cathedral. Either might have
happened, for Abrahah's proclamation was certainly provocative and in
the ancient pre-Islamic age it cannot be impossible that an Arab, or a
Quraishite youth, might have been enraged and might have defiled the
cathedral, or set fire to it. But it may well also be that Abrahah
himself got this done secretly by his own agent so as to have an
excuse for invading Makkah and thus achieving both his objectives by
destroying the Quraish and intimidating the Arabs. In any case,
whatever happened, when the report reached Abrahah that the devotees
of the Ka'bah had thus defiled his cathedral, he swore that he would
not rest until he had destroyed the Ka'bah. 
</p>
<p>
So, in 570 or 571 A. D.,
he took 60,000 troops and 13 elephants (according to another tradition,
9 elephants) and set off for Makkah. On the way, first a Yamanite
chief, Dhu Nafr by name, mustering an army of the Arabs, resisted him
but was defeated and taken prisoner. Then in the country of Khath'am
he was opposed by Nufail bin Habib al-Khath'am, with his tribe, but he
too was defeated and taken prisoner, and in order to save his life he
accepted to serve him as guide in the Arab country. When he reached
near Ta'if, Bani Thaqif felt that they would not be able to resist
such a big force and feeling the danger lest he should destroy the
temple of their deity Lat, too; their chief, Mas'ud. came out to
Abrahah with his men, and he told him that their temple was not the
temple he had come to destroy. The temple He sought was in Makkah, and
they would send with him a man to guide him there. Abrahah accepted
the offer, and Bani Thaqif sent Abu Righal as guide with him. When
they reached al-Mughammas (or al- Mughammis), a place about 3 miles
short of Makkah, Abu Righal died, and the Arabs stoned his grave and
the practice survives to this day. They cursed the Bani Thaqif too,
for in order to save the temple of Lat they had cooperated with the
invaders of the House of Allah. 
</p>
<p>
According to Muhammad bin Ishaq, from
al- Mughammas Abrahah sent forward his vanguard and they brought him
the plunder of the people of Tihamah and Quraish, which included two
hundred camels of Abdul Muttalib, the grandfather of the Holy
Messenger of Allah (upon whom be His peace). Then, he sent an envoy of
his to Makkah with the message that he had not come to fight the
people of Makkah but only to destroy the House (i. e. the Ka'bah). If
they offered no resistance, there would be no cause for bloodshed.
Abrahah also instructed his envoy that if the people of Makkah wanted
to negotiate, he should return with their leading chief to him. The
leading chief of Makkah at that time was Abdul Muttalib. The envoy
went to him and delivered Abrahah's message. Abdul Muttalib
replied:"We have no power to fight Abrahah. This is Allah's House. If
He wills He will save His House." The envoy asked him to go with him
to Abrahah. He agreed and accompanied him to the king. Now Abdul
Muttalib was such a dignified and handsome man that when, Abrahah saw
him he was much impressed; he got off his throne and sat beside him on
the carpet. Then he asked him what he wanted. Abdul Muttalib replied
that he wanted the king to return his camels which he had taken.
Abrahah said: "I was much impressed when I saw you but your reply has
brought you down in my eyes: you only demand your camels but you say
nothing about this House which is your sanctuary and the sanctuary of
your forefathers." He replied: "I am the owner of my camels and am
requesting you to return them. As for the House, it has its own Owner:
He will defend it." When Abrahah said that He would not be able to
defend it against him, Abdul Muttalib said that that rested between
Him and him. With this Abdul Muttalib left Abrahah and he restored to
him his camels. 
</p>
<p>
Ibn Abbas tradition is different. It does not mention
the demand for the camels at all. According to the traditions related
from him by Abd bin Humaid, Ibn al-Mundhir, lbn Marduyah, Hakim, Abu
Nuaim and Baihaqi, he states that when Abrahah reached As- Sifah (a
place situated between Arafat and Taif in the mountains near the
sacred bounds of Makkah), Abdul Muttalib went to him and said: "There
was no need for you to come so far. You should have ordered us and we
would have brought before you whatever you needed." He said: "I hear
that this House is the House of peace: I have come to destroy its
peace."Thereupon, Abdul Muttalib said: "This is Allah's House. He has
not allowed anyone so far to dominate it."Abrahah replied: "We will
not return until we have destroyed it."Abdul Muttalib said:"You may
take whatever you like from us and return."Abrahah refused to budge
and ordered his troops to advance, leaving Abdul Muttalib behind.
</p>
<p>
Leaving the two traditions as they are, one thing which becomes
evident is that the tribes living in and around Makkah did not have
the power to fight such a big force and save the Ka'bah. Therefore,
obviously, the Quraish did not try to put up any resistance. The
Quraish on the occasion of the Battle of the Trench (Ahzab) had hardly
been able to muster & strength numbering ten to twelve thousand men in
spite of the alliance with the pagan and Jewish tribes; they could not
have resisted an army 60,000 strong. 
</p>
<p>
Muhammad bin Ishaq says that
after returning from the camp of Abrahah Abdul Muttalib ordered the
Quraish to withdraw from the city and go to the mountains along with
their families for fear of a general massacre. Then he went to the
Ka'bah along with some chiefs of the Quraish and taking hold of the iron
ring of the door, prayed to Allah Almighty to protect His House and
its keepers. There were at that time 360 idols in and around the
Ka'bah, but on that critical moment they forgot them and implored only
Allah for help. Their supplications which have been reported in the
books of history do not contain any name but of Allah, the One. Ibn
Hisham in his <em>Life of the Prophet</em> has cited some verses of Abdul
Muttalib, which are to the following effect: 
</p>
<p>
"O God, a man protects
his house, so protect Your House; Let not their cross and their craft
tomorrow overcome Your craft. 
</p>
<p>
If You will to leave them and our qiblah
to themselves, You may do as You please." 
</p>
<p>
Suhail in Raud al-Unuf has
cited this verse also in this connection: 
</p>
<p>
"Help today Your devotees
against the devotees of the cross and its worshipers." 
</p>
<p>
Ibn Jarir has
cited Abdul Muttalib's these verses also, which he had recited in his
supplication; 
</p>
<p>
"O my Lord, I do not cherish any hope from anyone against
them except You. 
</p>
<p>
O my Lord, protect Your House from them. 
</p>
<p>
The enemy of
this House is Your enemy. 
</p>
<p>
Stop them from destroying Your settlement."
</p>
<p>
After making these supplications Abdul Muttalib and his companions
also went off to the mountains. Next morning Abrahah prepared to enter
Makkah, but his special elephant, Mahmud, which was in the forefront,
knelt down. It was beaten with iron bars, goaded, even scarified, but
it would not get up. When they made it face south, north, or east, it
would immediately start off, but as soon as they directed it towards
Makkah, it knelt down. In the meantime swarms of birds appeared
carrying stones in their beaks and claws and showered these on the
troops. Whoever was hit would start disintegrating. According to
Muhammad bin Ishaq and Ikrimah, this was smallpox, which was seen in
Arabia for the first time in that year. Ibn Abbas says that whoever
was struck by a pebble, would start scratching his body resulting in
breaking of the skin and falling off of the flesh. In another
tradition Ibn Abbas says that the flesh and blood flowed like water
and bones in the body became visible. The same thing happened with
Abrahah too. His flesh fell in pieces and there arose bores on his
body emitting pus and blood. In confusion they withdrew and fled
towards Yaman. Nufail bin Habib, whom they had brought as guide from
the country of Khatham, was searched out and asked to guide them back
to Yaman, but he refused and said: 
</p>
<p>
"Now where can one flee when God
pursues? 
</p>
<p>
The split nose (Abrahah) is the conquered; not the
conqueror." 
</p>
<p>
As they withdrew they were continually falling by the bay
and dying. Ata bin Yasar says that all the troops did not perish at
the spot; some perished there and others perished by the wayside as
they withdrew. Abrahah died in the country of Khath'am. 
</p>
<p>
This event
took place at Muhassir by the Muhassab valley, between Muzdalifah and
Mina. According to the <em>Sahih</em> of Muslim and Abu Da'ud, in the
description of the Holy Prophet's farewell pilgrimage that Imam Jafar
as-Sadiq has related from his father, Imam Muhammad Baqir, and he from
Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah, he says that when the Holy Prophet (upon
whom be peace) proceeded from Muzdalifah to Mina, he increased his
speed in the valley of Muhassir. Imam Nawawi has explained it saying
that the incident of the people of the elephant had occurred there;
therefore, the pilgrims have been enjoined to pass by quickly, for
Muhassir is a tormented place. Imam Malik in <em>Mu'atta</em> has related that
the Holy Prophet said that the whole of Muzdalifah is a fit place for
staying but one should not stay in the valley of Muhassir. In the
verses of Nufail bin Habib, which Ibn Ishaq has cited, he describes
this event as an eye witness: 
</p>
<p>
"Would that you had seen, O Rudaina, but
you would not see, What we saw by the valley of Muhassab. 
</p>
<p>
I praised
God when I saw the birds, 
</p>
<p>
and I feared lest the stones should fall
upon us. 
</p>
<p>
Everyone was asking for Nufail 
</p>
<p>
As though I owned the
Abyssinians a debt." 
</p>
<p>
This was such a momentous event that it soon
spread throughout Arabia and many poets made it the subject of their
laudatory poems. In these poems one thing is quite evident that
everyone regarded it as a manifestation of Allah Almighty's miraculous
power, and no one, even by allusion, said that the idols which were
worshiped in the Ka'bah, had anything to do with it. For example,
Abdullah ibn Az-Zibara says: 
</p>
<p>
"The sixty thousand returned not home,
</p>
<p>
Nor did their sick man (Abrahah) survive on return. 
</p>
<p>
Ad and Jurham were
there before them, 
</p>
<p>
And there is Allah, above the servants, Who
sustains it." 
</p>
<p>
Abu Qais bin Aslat says: 
</p>
<p>
"Rise and worship your Lord and
anoint 
</p>
<p>
The Corners of the House of Allah between the Mountains of
Makkah and Mina. 
</p>
<p>
When the help of the Owner of the Throne reached you,
</p>
<p>
His armies repulsed them so that they were lying in dust, pelted with
stones." 
</p>
<p>
Not only this, but according to Hadrat Umm Hani and Hadrat
Zubair bin al-Awwam, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) said:"The
Quraish did not worship anyone but Allah, the Only and One, for ten
years (and according to others, for seven years. Umm Hani's tradition
has been related by Imam Bukhari in his History and by Tabarani, Hakim,
Ibn Marduyah and Baihaqi in their collections of <em>Ahadith</em>. Hadrat
Zubair's statement has been related by Tabarani, Ibn Marduyah and Ibn
Asakir, and this is further confirmed by the <em>mursal</em> tradition of
Hadrat Sa'id bin al Musayyab, which Khatib Baghdadi has recorded in
his History. 
</p>
<p>
The Arabs describe the year in which this event took
place as <em>Am al-Fil</em> (the year of the elephants), and in the same year
the Holy Messenger of Allah (upon whom be His peace) was born. The
traditionists and historians almost unanimously state that the event
of the people of the elephant had occurred in Muharram and the Holy
Prophet was born in Rabi al-Awwal. A majority of them states that he
took birth 50 days after the event of the elephant. 
</p>
<h2>Theme and Substance</h2>
<p>
If Surah al-Fil is studied in the light of the historical
details as given above, one can fully well understand why in this Surah
only Allah's inflicting His punishment on the people of the elephant
has been referred and described so briefly. It was an event of recent
occurrence, and everyone in Makkah and Arabia was fully aware of it.
The Arabs believed that the Ka'bah had been protected in this invasion
not by any god or goddess but by Allah Almighty Himself. Then Allah
alone had been invoked by the Quraish chiefs for help, and for quite a
few years the people of Quraish having been impressed by this event,
had worshiped none but Allah. Therefore, there was no need to mention
the details in Surah al-Fil, but only a reference to it was enough so
that the people of Quraish, in particular, and the people of Arabia,
in general, should consider well in their hearts the message that the
Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) was
giving. For the only message that he gave was that they should worship
and serve none but Allah, the Only and One. Then, they should also
consider that if they used force to suppress this invitation to the
truth, they would only be inviting the wrath of God, Who had so
completely routed and destroyed the people of the elephants.
</p>

